Indeed, the Ulsterman will wave the 24-year-old off under orders to make the most of his dream call-up just weeks after his return from an 18-month lay-off.

Campbell will join up with caretaker manager Stuart Pearce's squad for Wednesday night's friendly clash with Holland after the Black Cats' Barclays Premier League trip to West Brom on Saturday, and while O'Neill will be keeping his fingers crossed that he, like all the club's international players, returns unscathed, he will have no particular concerns.

Back: Sunderland's Fraizer Campbell scores against Norwich

He said: 'If he is okay and he is well within himself at the moment, then why not avail yourself of this opportunity?

'It's a chance for him, it's a chance that he wouldn't have expected. It's a chance that he wouldn't have dreamt about five or six or seven weeks ago.

'From that viewpoint while it's there, I don't think he could go back and say to them, "I'll not take this opportunity".

'Go for it, go and enjoy it. If you get on the field of play, that's a massive bonus, but just being around quality players in the England set-up, he couldn't ask for a bigger boost.

'Stuart Pearce is well aware of his injury history and just for him to be around the squad is great.

'If he gets on the field, it will be fantastic. I wouldn't expect too much, and I am sure that Fraizer wouldn't be expecting too much.

'Just to have a couple of days there, a different environment being involved with the squad, it's a massive boost for him, a really, really big boost.

Ecstatic: Martin O'Neill is delighted for the striker

'Knowing Fraizer, he will treat it in the right way too.'

Campbell's return to prominence has been little short of spectacular with the former Manchester United trainee scoring within minutes of his introduction as a substitute in the FA Cup fourth-round clash with Middlesbrough on January 29.

His comeback from two cruciate ligament injuries has been carefully managed since, but the injection of pace and potency he has given O'Neill's side has proved crucial to their continuing run of impressive form.

However, while a sequence of positive results has coincided with Campbell's re-appearance and the emergence of winger James McClean, who was this week rewarded with a late call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad, O'Neill is reluctant to equate their individual success with improving fortunes on Wearside generally.

He said: 'It's a nice enough reflection, but I wouldn't get too carried away.

'James McClean's rise has been absolutely fantastic, there's no doubt about it. He has been just mesmeric for us, really, and I am obviously just delighted for Fraizer. It's a massive boost.

Experience: Campbell's boss says international duty will be a good experience

'But I don't make that as a total reflection of what's happening here.

'We still need some points on the board - that's why tomorrow's game is vitally important for us.

'But the overall picture, I don't deny, is obviously less gloomy than it might have been. It seems to be brighter.

'We are playing decently, we have got a good spirit - all of those things are great, and there is a bit of self-confidence returning to the team.'

Sunderland head for the Hawthorns having dumped Arsenal out of the FA Cup last weekend to extend their run to just three defeats in O'Neill's 15 games to date.

Striker Nicklas Bendtner could figure, wearing a protective facial mask after missing out against his parent club under the terms of his loan agreement, although O'Neill will be taking nothing for granted against a side which routed derby rivals Wolves 5-1 on their own pitch last time out.

He said: 'While their home form maybe needs attending, the truth is that they are going into the game on an absolute high.'